A Silly Video Of Men Talking About Their Kids Is Turning Heads For All The Wrong Reasons
It's meant to be humorous, but not many people are taking it that way.
@celebcircle / TikTok Navigating parenthood can be a difficult journey for many people, and while there is no official rule book on the matter, it can be agreed upon that one important aspect is being a present figure in your child's life, both physically and emotionally.
Unfortunately, there are parents out there who've missed the emotional aspect, and therefore maybe don't have that close of a bond with their child.
A debate about this particular predicament started on social media after a clip from a segment called "Can Dads Answer Questions About Their Kids?" from "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" started going viral. In the clip, fathers are being interviewed on the street and asked simple yet personal questions about their kids right in front of them, but the response isn't as lighthearted as the segment intended to be.
Many fathers were unable to correctly answer questions about their children.
In the viral video, which was filmed in Los Angeles, multiple fathers were stopped in the street with their kids to answer simple questions. For the first one, a dad was asked when his son's birthday was and started laughing because he was unable to figure it out.
"That's a good one 'cause I don't know!" he chirped, looking at his son in amusement. "I don't know his birthday."
Unfortunately, the cringe responses didn't stop there, as another father was asked if he considered himself to be close to his daughter. After answering yes, the interviewer proceeded to ask what his daughter's favorite subject was in school.
"Social studies," he replied confidently. When the interviewer asked the daughter to confirm, she matter-of-factly responded, "No." The same father was then asked what grade his daughter was going into, which he claimed was ninth grade, but his daughter's flabbergasted expression proved that he was wrong.
A third father was asked if he could correctly guess the color of his daughter's eyes. After confidently saying they were brown, the camera panned to his daughter who actually had blue eyes. Two other fathers were asked if they knew the names of their daughter's teachers, to which they had no idea.
Finally, the last dad to be interviewed was with his three daughters and wife. When asked when his daughter's birthday was, the dad blanked. "Why do you do this to me?" he joked, clearly not being able to remember. "I give up."
To make matters worse, one of his daughters immediately piped up and answered that her birthday was yesterday. Changing it up, the interviewer proceeded to ask the girls' mother to name all of her daughter's best friends, which she was able to do with ease, same with the name of her daughters' dentist, and all of their birthdays.
This video sparked a conversation about the different relationships that mothers and fathers have with their kids.
While the segment was meant to be a humorous insight into how many fathers don't know even the most basic of questions about their children, the response from people on social media was less than enthused as many pointed out that it's just sad how little these fathers were able to answer.
Unfortunately, many women can relate to being the parent who is more emotionally invested in their children's lives. According to data acquired by the Pew Research Center, when it comes to child-rearing, women see themselves carrying a much heavier burden than their spouses or partners, while men are more likely than women to say responsibilities are evenly shared.
About three-quarters (74%) of mothers say they do more to manage their children’s schedules and activities than their spouse or partner; only 3% say their husband or partner does more of this. Roughly half (54%) of mothers say they do more than their spouse or partner to be an involved parent, while just 3% say their spouse or partner does more.
This isn't the case all of the time, as there are fathers out there who take the time to engage with their kids and learn not only the basic information, but important things that may be happening in their kids' lives. But, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of men who feel that a physical presence in their children's lives makes up for anything else they might have to do.
You can't just depend on being a child's parent as substantial enough, especially as they grow older and start cultivating their own personality filled with interests and opinions.
However, instead of casting blame, this can be used as an opportunity for not only the men in the video but any man out there who may feel this emotional gap between them and their kids, to reflect on their role as a parent. It's a chance for fathers to consider the depth of the connection they have with their children beyond just a physical presence—a connection that extends to shared memories, emotional bonds, and compassion.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.